Thank you so much for your kind words, for your outpouring of love, and for sharing your stories. They have been a source of strength and healing, and knowing that you’re thinking of us has helped us more than I can say.
We’re doing better, feeling better – though some days are better than others – and focusing on loving each other and moving forward the best that we can. No one can say what the future holds, but whatever that is, we know that we’ll be in it together, and we know that we are loved, supported, and surrounded by kindness.
Gratitude isn’t a strong enough word.
Just thank you. Thank you, thank you. Graham and I are everlastingly, infinitely grateful for all of you.
Well, not too far. My mom lives about six hours away…
…and Graham’s mom lives about four.
Today, though, I wish we lived closer to both of them. Graham and I are lucky to have them, and I’d love to celebrate with them in person, but that just wasn’t in the cards this year. So, a blog post in their honor will have to do.
They are beautiful, smart, kind, wise, and so very wonderful. Today and every day, we love them both so much.
(Oh, and for supper? Leftover red beans and rice. It’s been a long week, y’all.)
Though we live fairly close to Washington, DC, Graham and I rarely make it into the city. With traffic being what it is (everything you’ve heard is true…DC traffic is, in fact, a nightmare sometimes), we just don’t think to drive in and spend time. But, we should, because DC really is a beautiful city, and there’s a lot of cool stuff to do. And perhaps most importantly, one of our very best friends lives there. So yesterday, we did.
We visited her, her new place, and watched the sunset over the Washington Monument from her rooftop terrace.
Country life is amazing, but cities are pretty cool, too – the bustle of cars and motorcycles, the snippets of conversation, the sea of bright lights against a setting sun or dark night. And seeing a good friend. That’s always wonderful.
Today, on this lovely first day of spring, we’ve been taking it easy. A leisurely breakfast, some very nice coffee, an afternoon of movies and a little bit of catch-up work from the week. And for supper? Probably beef stew and mashed potatoes, because I actually have time to make it.
Happy Sunday, y’all, and wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
It’s been a lightly snowy Sunday. Not much in the way of accumulation, but a few showers every now and again.
I’m enjoying it, and I suspect it might be our last snow of the season. Yesterday was sunny and almost 60 degrees (Fahrenheit), so it was a little strange to wake up this morning and see snow on the ground, but I’ll take it!
Overall, it’s been a relaxing day. We’ve got a fire going in the fireplace, and I’ve been reading the latest from my brother-in-law: a web comic called Traveler. I’m super excited to see this work get published, and I hope it really takes off. If web comics are your style (or even if they’re not, because it’s always fun to try new things), I’d definitely recommend checking it out!
And that’s my Sunday, I guess. Reading, relaxing, and watching it snow. And for dinner? Some kind of garlic-y pasta, as is snow day tradition for Graham and me. 😊
Y’all. You guys. It’s been some kind of weekend. Where do I even start?
Okay.
Let’s start here. After a hiatus of several months, the Better Friendships podcast is finally back and posting episodes! My co-host (and very dear friend) and I are so happy to be back at work on it, researching and writing episodes and planning for a very good second season. And of course a strong finish to our first season. You can find our latest episode – which features a fun interview with my mother-in-law, who was a flight attendant in the 1960s – here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4iTAsxjl7NcAYK1qq3L1pu
So, that’s the good.
The bad? Well, Friday night, we discovered that our upstairs shower was backing up into our basement sink, because that is totally a thing that can actually happen. We called in a plumber yesterday, and he couldn’t fix the issue. So, we called in a different plumber today. He discovered that, just like we anticipated, the pipes in our house are part of a serpentine labyrinth that makes no sense at all. But after moving our basement wet bar and cutting a hole in the wall behind it…
…he found the issue, and thankfully, it looks like it’s fixed. We just need to deal with a hole in the wall and a displaced wet bar. Luckily, this particular plumbing company has people on deck to handle all of that. So now, we wait until they can make it out here to do the work. Which, I mean, things could be so much worse, right?
To top it all off, Gatsby’s favorite food is out of stock. Everywhere. So he’s a very unhappy, grumpy, hangry little big cat right now. Don’t worry – he has food. It’s just not the food he wants, and so he won’t eat it. At least not until he’s good and hungry. Kind of like when your mom cooks you a healthy, nutritious, made-from-scratch dinner but you wanted pizza.
Speaking of dinner…er, supper…and of pizza, what’s on tonight? Leftover pizza. I don’t have the mental energy right now for anything else. And also, ice cream. Because it’s just been the kind of weekend that makes me want ice cream.
Hello, 2022! It’s lovely to meet you, and I hope you’re kind to us. Like, seriously. Please.
That’s pretty much where I am today. We had a lovely Christmas, and a very low-key New Year’s Eve and Day, and this evening, I’m mostly just pondering possibilities and wondering what this newest of years will bring. I’ve not made any Very Big Plans, though I have jotted down some goals, especially in regards to my creative work. More to come on that, and I think it’s going to be exciting.
But for now, I’d like to leave you with wishes for a wonderful, fulfilling, peaceful, exciting, creative, memorable, and most of all, a happy New Year. I hope you do cool stuff, make mistakes, learn, grow, draw, paint, dance, cook, eat, sing, read, write, and just generally live the best you can. And if you ever need a cheerleader, know I’m here, in your corner, even from the other side of the world, and I think you got this, whatever it is. Make 2022 a good one, y’all, and I’ll do the same.
Oh, and for supper: Taco Bell. Don’t judge. What’s a good year without a few tacos? 😉
*A quick announcement before I share some Sunday thoughts: I’ll be taking next week off as a sort of holiday break. But I’ll be back on Monday, December 27th! Expect some post-Christmas musings and the last short story of 2021.*
Oh, man. Less than a week until Christmas. How did that happen? The month’s gone by so quickly, but I’m feeling pretty prepared and excited.
I’ve bought presents for everyone on my list, but I’ve not gotten around to wrapping them yet. The good news? I actually remembered to buy wrapping paper and gift tags this year! (Seriously, I’ve forgotten in the past. I’m not proud.)
The bad news? I forgot…basically everything else. Tape, ribbons, bows… Oops. So, we’ll do what we can this evening and finish up later in the week.
And I’ve got a Christmas feast all planned! Not that I’ve actually made a grocery list or done any grocery shopping yet. But that can happen later in the week, too. I’m sure the store won’t be crowded. I’m sure everyone else is more prepared than me. Right? RIGHT?! (I’m not fooling myself, you guys. It’s going to be crazy busy. But it’ll be fine.)
So, it’s actually just general chaos here as we get ready for the holiday, but it’s good chaos. I’m excited to give some fun gifts to the people I love. I’m excited to see my family and a few good friends (all vaccinated) for a lovely Christmas Day dinner. And I’m excited to see what the new year will bring. But, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. For now, presents, groceries, laundry, and some last-minute cleaning. A busy evening ahead, I think.
What’s for supper, in the midst of the madness? Well, with everything else going on, I don’t really feel like cooking, so leftovers it is! Good thing we planned ahead and ordered a really big lunch.
And before I go and get started on…everything, I wish you all a very happy Christmas, or whatever you may be celebrating this month. May it be joyful, peaceful, and restful, and most of all, may it be filled with love. Happy holidays from Virginia, y’all!
Graham and I came back from Thanksgiving very happy (and very full of both love and delicious food), but also very tired. And we haven’t really had a chance to catch up on rest this week, but hey, that’s the holidays, right?
Seriously, though, it’s been a long week, but a good one, capped off by a lovely Christmas parade and celebration in the next town over (which we pretty much consider our second hometown, at this point).
The town wisely limited parking, so the crowd wasn’t as large as it has been in the past, but there were loads of people, all happy and smiling and enjoying everything this beautiful part of Virginia has to offer. I truly love to see it. And by yesterday evening, it looked like this:
Same spot, five hours apart. Crazy.
And it’s kind of crazy to think that we’ve only got twenty days until Christmas. But it’s exciting, and we know there are even busier days ahead. So we’ve taken this cloudy Sunday to rest, nap, relax, and generally do a whole lot of nothing. It’s been downright luxurious.
And for supper? Something decadent, I think. Pasta with a creamy, cheesy garlic sauce, bacon, and peas. Yes, perfect.
I mentioned in my post on Friday that it’s been a busier week than I expected. And the truth is, it’s also been a not very good week. Bad news, coupled with busy-ness, and also not feeling great after my flu shot and COVID booster, and I’m seriously ready for a few good days with family and food. But in the meantime, Graham and I took back a little bit of control this weekend, and put up our Christmas decorations. Let’s make some happiness, y’all. Haul out the holly!
Yes, I decorated for Christmas yesterday. I have no regrets.
Let me explain.
I grew up in a household that put up Christmas décor after Thanksgiving and took it down before the new year. No judgement here. Honestly. But as I’ve made my own home, I’ve made my own schedule. And I like a Christmas tree. (To see more about my decorations, look here and here. I have lots of beautiful heirloom pieces, and whenever I decorate, my family feels close. It makes my heart smile.)
So, here we are. Our Christmas decorations are up, Thanksgiving (for the U.S.) is coming, and I’m in my cozy chair, drinking some champagne in front of the fire.
I firmly believe that champagne is appropriate for every occasion. Sad? Have a glass of champagne. Happy? Glass of champagne. Questioning humanity’s very purpose? Champagne. Putting up Christmas decorations? Well, I think you know.
I hope that the week to come is better. But in the meantime, champagne. And what’s for supper? Roasted zucchini and yellow squash with kielbasa over rice. Easy, tasty, not super unhealthy.
A quick note, I’ll be taking a break from posting in the coming week, but I’ll be back on Monday, November 29th. I’ve got a short story in the works, and plan to share some of my favorite cold weather recipes. I hope you come back to visit! And if you’re in the U.S., or you feel so inclined, I wish you a good week to come giving thanks and being grateful for the little and big things that make life wonderful.
*Well, here I am, posting on a Sunday, which isn’t something I normally do. That is, until now! I’ve been thinking for a while that I wanted to add a day to my posting schedule, so here’s a new feature – Sunday Supper. A quick post (maybe) every Sunday, just talking about what’s going on, what’s on my mind, (sometimes) what’s for dinner, what’s on tap for the week ahead, etc. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it!*
It’s been a lazy day around here, which is probably appropriate, considering that we’ve fallen back an hour and so it’s now getting dark early. I always love this time of year. I know that for lots of people, the extra hours of darkness and the colder weather can be really hard and depressing, but I enjoy slowing down and taking it all in. It feels like the natural order of things. And with the cold comes the cozy, and I like to be cozy.
So does Gatsby.
It’s been chilly for the last week or so, and I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity to build our first fire of the season. Today was that day.
And so now I’m sitting here with a cup of Earl Grey tea, typing away by the fire, enjoying the warmth and the yellow lamplight, and pondering what to actually make for supper. I think pasta – easy and quick, and I’ve got some good cheddar cheese and bacon, so I should be able whip up a pretty tasty sauce. As for what next week will bring, well, I’ll think about that tomorrow.
Happy Sunday, y’all, and cheers to a good week to come!
A Virginia Writer's Diary 